What Was Palpatine's Plan In 'The Rise Of Skywalker'?

Star Wars

May 15

In The Rise of Skywalker, the main driving force behind the story is the return of Emperor Palpatine. The Dark Lord of the Sith has been hiding in the shadows of Exegol and once again plans to seize power, restoring both himself and his Empire to glory. But what exactly were his means of doing so? By the time of his return, the galaxy had already fallen into war, with the First Order and the Resistance spreading their forces across the stars.

However, Palpatine had deeper plans than simply reclaiming his throne. For the last thirty years, he had not only been assembling his legions in the form of the Final Order, but he had also been plotting his revenge, revenge not just against the galaxy, but against those who had personally thwarted him time and time again: the Skywalker family.

RELATED:

Featured

Disney's Budget For 'Andor' Was More Than Any Of The Other 'Star Wars' Projects

So, what was Palpatine’s ultimate goal? What did he desire beyond simple galactic conquest? The real answer may be more sinister than anything you could possibly imagine.

Unnatural Dark Side

“The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.” That is what Emperor Palpatine has always said in reference to his sinister schemes.

You see, Emperor Palpatine returned from death by transferring his spirit into a clone of himself, a vessel specifically engineered to contain his immense dark energy. Using the power of essence transfer, Palpatine was able to escape his dying body on Endor and travel to the Sith sanctuary of Exegol. This was the same forbidden technique once used by his own master, Darth Plagueis, who had also sought the secret of immortality.

But even that clone body was only a temporary solution. To secure his future and ensure the survival of his essence, Palpatine needed another vessel, one strong enough in the Force to contain his overwhelming power.

For over thirty years, Palpatine remained trapped in a broken, decaying clone body, desperate to find a suitable host for his dark spirit.

So who could that vessel be? Not just anyone could withstand the immense power of the Force; the body would need to endure the strain without instantly decaying or dying once he took control. As it turns out, Palpatine had two potential candidates: Rey and Ben Solo. One was the biological daughter of a failed cloning experiment. The other, a descendant of one of Palpatine’s greatest enemies—and the grandson of his fallen apprentice, Darth Vader.

Palpatine’s plan was not just galactic, it was deeply personal. His original intention was for Ben Solo to become his new vessel once the young man fully embraced the dark side. It would have been the ultimate act of revenge: corrupting the son of his enemies and then literally becoming him. Such a twisted scheme fits perfectly with Palpatine’s petty, vindictive nature, settling personal scores beneath the facade of galactic conquest.

But Palpatine always had a backup plan. And in this case, it was Rey.

The daughter of his clone "son," Rey possessed immense latent power in the Force, more than enough for Palpatine to inhabit and control her body. She was the contingency, the fail-safe, and ultimately, the legacy he intended to leave behind.

Plus, with his blood running through her veins, Palpatine would have a body capable of stabilizing his own Force essence one that wouldn’t decay. She would become Empress, or more importantly, she would become him.

However, as much as Palpatine wanted a body, what he truly desired was his own—and fortunately for him, the opportunity arose to reclaim it.

A Dyad in the force

At first, it seemed Palpatine was already in a win-win situation.

Ben Solo had fallen to the dark side and was hunting Rey. If he destroyed her, the remaining light within him would be extinguished, and he would become a being of pure darkness, strong enough for Palpatine to possess. However, if Rey defeated Ben, Palpatine hoped she would eventually come to Exegol, where he could attempt to corrupt her and bend her to his will.

What Palpatine did not initially realize was that the two individuals he was manipulating,Rey and Ben Solo, were the Dyad.

The Dyad in the Force was a rare phenomenon in which two Force-sensitive beings, deeply connected to one another, shared a bond so powerful it granted them mastery over life and death itself. It was one of the reasons the Sith created the Rule of Two, hoping that, one day, a Master and Apprentice might form a Dyad and wield that unimaginable power.

When Palpatine finally discovered that Rey and Ben were the Dyad, he immediately took advantage of the situation. He drained both of their Force essences and was able to restore his body and powers to their full potential. It was his ultimate victory, not only had he survived, but he had done so in his own body. There would be no need to possess another.

Ultimately, this victory was short-lived. Rey defeated the Emperor, destroying him once and for all. Any hope of transferring to a new body was dashed, as his essence was cast into the void forever.

In the end, Palpatine's plan was not just about galactic conquest—it was also about dominating a new body to call his own. He was willing to strip away another's individual freedom for his own purposes and consume them. What a chilling way for the former Emperor to exact his revenge—not only to live forever, but to do so by directly harming the next generation, in a way far more personal than mere repression.

Truly, the Emperor’s most sinister plan yet.

READ NEXT:

Featured